A superb GPU, but there’s little reason to buy it

We’ve often wondered why dual-GPU video cards always use two flagship GPUs instead of something a bit more midrange. Sure, we get the whole “most powerful card in the world” marketing tagline that inevitably follows the creation of cards with two high-end GPUs, but those suckers are expensive, run really hot, and oftentimes require exotic cooling. Well, this month Asus has answered our question by packing two midrange GeForce GTX 760 GPUs into one PCB, creating a $650 dual-GPU card designed to take on the $1,000 GTX Titan and the $700 GTX 780 Ti. We figured it would be potent before we even put it on a test bench, since in our “Tested!” feature back in October 2013 we found dual GTX 660 Ti cards to be faster than a GTX 780. Therefore, it’s not a stretch to imagine that two GTX 760s could be faster than a Titan, but since people aren’t that into the dual-GPU thing these days, this will have to be one stupid-fast card to make us believers.

Two CPU coolers combine forces in different ways

Closed-loop liquid coolers (CLCs) have a number of advantages for enthusiasts. They can overclock higher than an air cooler but they don't require the expense, fiddling, or maintenance of a full-on custom loop. However, there hasn't been a lot of variety in the basic design lately. So today, we're taking a look at two CLCs that have broken from the herd. Cooler Master is working with Swiftech, which usually makes parts for custom loops, and Antec is putting its pump on the fans itself.

A case of too much power in a too-little chassis

As much as we enjoy pure PC power in our gaming laptops, we hate having to lug around big, hulking notebooks. Thankfully, this is something AVADirect attempts to address with its latest Clevo laptop, the W230ST. Its compact 13.3-inch gaming notebook chassis is crammed with impressive hardware, including a quad-core 2.7GHz Core i7-4800MQ, GeForce GTX 765M, and 16GB of RAM. While it may sound like you’re getting the best of both worlds, AVADirect’s Clevo ends up biting off more than it can chew.

Note: This review was originally featured in the April 2014 issue of the magazine.

Competition for third-party developers?

Many third-party manufacturers are researching and developing motion control devices for the Oculus Rift such as the Virtuix Omni treadmill and PrioVR suit. However, according to CNET, Oculus VR is making its own VR motion controllers.

Another contender for the living room

Looks like Nvidia isn’t done trying to get into the living room. According to the BBC, Nvidia is developing a new device that will play PC games on televisions, making use of the developer’s GeForce Experience software. It will also run Android software and, BBC reports, will have a “budget-priced separate controller.”

Check out footage of this cool, revolutionary chassis

In this video, Gordon walks you through Origin PC’s Genesis. The Genesis features the company’s custom designed and modular chassis that lets the builder add a bottom slice with additional radiators or hard drives as well as the capability to mount the motherboard tray in four orientations including reversing the tray and window. It’s truly a unique and dare we say it—revolutionary approach to case design. And yes, just like custom systems from other vendors, you can get the case—you just have to buy entire system and gut the parts. The case isn’t quite perfect though so Gordon walks you through what works and what doesn't. And no, despite what Gordon seems to imply, you can’t actually change the orientation of the motherboard willy nilly. That’s done when you order the machine and when it’s being built.

Best AC router: everything you need to know about the 802.11ac standard

Even though you might just now be getting around to upgrading your home network to take advantage of the 802.11n spec, there’s a new standard on the horizon that promises even faster speeds. How fast? Well, if 802.11n is a pitcher’s fastball, the draft 802.11ac spec is a bullet fired from a gun, at least in theoretical terms.